Report: Seahawks coach target Ben Johnson staying in Detroit

The Seattle Seahawks just wrapped up their second interview with Ben Johnson, but according to an NFL Network report, he will not be the team’s next head coach.

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According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the young offensive coordinator has told the Seahawks and the Washington Commanders that he will not be a head coach next year, opting to return to the Detroit Lions, who just lost in the NFC Championship game. The Seahawks and Commanders are the last two teams looking to hire a new head coach, and Johnson was considered a top target for both, with many believing he would likely end up in Washington.

The Lions had a top-five offense in Johnson’s two years as offensive play-caller.

While Pelissero’s report makes it sound like it was Johnson who spurned the Seahawks and Commanders, another report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggests it may not have been his decision.

Per Schefter, “Ben Johnson was not the head-coaching lock that people thought and his asking price spooked some teams, per sources.”

Now, the Seahawks and Commanders will look elsewhere for their next head coaches. The two teams have been tied to many of the same candidates, including two high-profile defensive coordinators.

The Seahawks are reportedly talking to Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald since his team was eliminated on Sunday. The Commanders have also shown interest in Macdonald.

Dan Quinn, the D-coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys and a former Seattle defensive play-caller, has interviewed multiple times with both teams.

More on Seattle Seahawks’ head coach search

• The Latest: When Seahawks are reportedly talking to coach candidates
• Nothing is stopping the Seahawks from naming new coach now
• Seahawks Coach Search: What Vrabel brings, why he’s not with Titans
• How other head coaching hires have impacted the Seahawks

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